Simon Pettigrew Guides Four Seasons Through A Renovation And Plans For Another Round While Stressing Focus On Quality

After landing in the hospitality industry "by accident" back in his native England, Simon Pettigrew has risen through the ranks. Today he serves as general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami.

Mr. Pettigrew has worked for the luxury hotel chain for 25 years. He worked at numerous Four Seasons locations throughout North America before coming to Miami early last year.

"I always love the [city] that I’m in," he said. "Wherever I go I find the good in every single place, and Miami has just been an incredible destination in my year-plus."

In Miami he’s encountered an interesting destination, which attracts business travelers and leisure visitors alike. The Four Seasons Brickell has a resort feel while being in the middle of an urban setting, he said.

Mr. Pettigrew oversaw the completion of the Miami hotel’s first renovation since 2003, which included a redesign of rooms and the launch of a new restaurant — Edge, Steak & Bar. He supervised the renovation of the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver before the 2010 Olympic Games and the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.

The Brickell hotel might see more changes in its near future. Mr. Pettigrew said a design firm has been hired, and the hotel is in the formative stages of giving some of the hotel’s public areas an overhaul.

Aside from overseeing the hotel’s operations, Mr. Pettigrew sits on the board of the Greater Miami & the Beaches Hotel Association.

During his many years in the hotel industry he’s experienced good times and bad. He used his collaborative leadership style during the downturn of the economy to figure out how to react without sacrificing the guests’ experience.

"I think every hotel reacted in a similar way regardless of the location," he said. "I was in Vancouver during the downturn, but I think everybody had to look at efficiency. How do we do a little bit more with a little bit less? The most important thing was retaining as much of our resources, talent as possible. We’re in the people business, so we have to retain those superstars as a primary goal."